France, still on alert for attacks

Since July 1, 2025, France has once again been placed in “attack emergency”, the maximum level of the Vigipirate plan. This is the fifth activation of this system since 2015, against a backdrop of conflicts in the Middle East (war between Israel and Hamas, twelve-day war between Iran and Israel in June, etc.).

Since the start of the year, five Islamist attack plans have been foiled by French intelligence services. Among the places targeted: a school, synagogues, festive events, the Eiffel Tower, etc.

Today, the threat is more diffuse. It mainly comes from radicalized people – often under the age of 21 – influenced by online jihadist propaganda. Many of them continue to pledge allegiance to Daesh. Deprived of its ability to orchestrate large-scale attacks like in 2015, the Islamist group now relies on these local relays to perpetuate its strategy of terror.

Other profiles, more difficult to detect, act alone in a logic of retaliation against content deemed offensive to Islam. Their action, often unpredictable, complicates the task of the authorities.

These “lone wolves” use the methods of jihadist groups – stabbing attacks, ram vehicles – without a direct operational link with a terrorist organization.

The General Directorate of Internal Security also includes radicalized detainees in its monitoring areas. Today, in addition to the 400 people incarcerated for acts of terrorism, the intelligence services are following 400 other detainees, whose radicalization they are monitoring.